A handful of Sheridan residents, led by Jim Gordon and his daughter Jackie, are trying to save the 1960s' grain elevator from being torn down. Gordon, commander of the local American Legion on North Bridge Street, said the elevator is a reminder of this small town's farming history and an beacon seen for miles on Oregon 18.

He said he understands the elevator's owners have the right to take it down. He just wishes they wouldn't.

"We are just voicing our opinion," he said. "It's a shame that another local landmark has to bite the dust."

For years, the American Legion supplied the flag that flew from the top of the elevator. The flag was lit at night so people for miles around could see it.

"It was quite a sight," he said.

The elevator is owned by Dura Lite Rock, which makes synthetic rock products, said vice-president and financial officer Bobbi Jenkins. She said Friday that she understands the emotional ties the community has. The property on which the elevator rests had been for sale for several years. Those who want to preserve it had a chance to buy it, she said

Her company is driven by practical business decisions -- decisions that also will benefit Sheridan, Jenkins said. They plan to expand within a year and that means jobs for locals, she said. Meantime, the elevator harbors a hefty rat population and it's not entirely child-proof. Just this week, a windstorm blew off a section of aluminum, which luckily did not injure anyone. The company needs to keep a separate insurance policy in place solely for the elevator, she said.

And, Jenkins pointed out, the dismantling of the elevator will be a recycling project, not a demolition that heads to a landfill. About 250,000 board feet of straight-grain wood forms the skeleton of the aluminum structure.

Meanwhile, about two dozen Sheridan residents have signed an online petition to save the elevator. But not everyone is eager to see the landmark remain. Even some old-timers have called Gordon to say they don't mind seeing the elevator come down.